Montezuma’s Revenge

Montezuma II was a great astronomer and astrologer. The Aztec knowledge of the motions of the heavens was unrivaled in the 16th century. They were very in tune with the Universe.

Hernan Cortez was a conquistador. His religion and his status granted him the power to reach the New World, with the sole purpose of expanding the Spanish empire. His Universe was one of material possession.

Whether the Aztec saw Cortez as the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl or not, is still under debate. But it is clear that it was not the Spanish who conquered the mighty Aztec empire, it was the smallpox virus.

The Mesoamerican people were hunters. They ate meat, and they traded animal parts for ceremony and adornment. But they did not live with the animals they hunted.

The Europeans had been literally living with their domesticated animals for many generations. Because of this, their immune systems had been fortified by constant contact with animal bacteria for centuries.

Neither the Spanish nor the Aztecs were aware of this microbial menace.

It was the intent of the Spanish to force the indigenous Americans to a life of servitude. But the native people that were exposed to the smallpox virus soon died. The extent of devastation was intense.

The victims of the smallpox didn’t just die, however. They spent several days in agonizing torment, as their skin blistered and their internal organs shut down. The fever, vomiting, and ulcers precluded death, and 9 of every 10 natives succumbed to the disease.

Europeans were ultimately driven to enslave African natives to compensate for the widespread loss of Mesoamerican lives; the African people had also lived with domesticated animals for generations.

This horrific fact of history has been mostly forgotten. In fact, the popular joke about dysentery is labelled “Montezuma’s Revenge”, making light of the terrible fate of millions of unsuspecting victims.

It is in this frame of reference that I have declared, through my discovery of the true nature of galaxy evolution, the center of the Milky Way will have a new title.

From now until the end of our species, the center of the Galaxy will be named Montezuma III; in honor of the millions of native souls lost to conquest and disease over the last 500 years.

My father was Hispanic, and was raised in Sterling, Colorado. He had been exposed to abuse from local white kids about his heritage at a young age, and he was ashamed of being Hispanic. He carried this shame his entire life.

Like many Hispanic people, he had been born with a strong Spanish name. Because of his shame, he would argue against any claim that he was anything but pure Spaniard; despite him and his siblings having more Indian features than Spanish.

As a young musician, he changed his name to Monte Dale, found a white wife, raised white kids; and disassociated from his family and his heritage. Although draped in shame, he did not lack extreme pride; and made me, his first son, his namesake.

I have hated my name my whole life. I was planning on changing my name back to my father’s original surname once he passed, but my discovery has made me reconsider.

Perhaps I was destined to make this discovery. Maybe my dad named me Monte Jr as part of a bigger cosmic design. Instead of continuing the pattern of shame, what if I could turn the tide in my favor?

If Mankind has missed their chance to escape Mother Earth through blatant negligence of reality, and we soon perish under the oppressive heat of global warming, then Montezuma will indeed have exacted his revenge. However, if Man can survive this physical challenge and escape to the stars, he will need to run forever; and will have Montezuma III in his rear-view mirror the entire time.

Top that.